Lululemon Apres Sport Tweed Jacket

My current infatuation is with my new Lululemon Apres Sport Tweed Jacket. 

It was an impulse purchase (with some support and reassurance at the time).

I had not planned to buy a jacket given that I had already purchased two during this sale period. But this jacket was impossible to let it slip away.

Lululemon is one of my favourite stores. It is located in the Perth Enex100 building at the Hay street entrance to the right. You cannot miss the colourful aura and fun happy energy that comes from that store. 

I have had quite a few purchases from Lululemon, and I can honestly say that everything that I have bought has withstood the test of multiple washes, and me either sweating or just working the crap out of them. The quality and the ingenuity that goes into each garment or sport equipment is always surprising. After discovering the little 'secret' pockets of practicality that are hidden away, (which are only found when you are thinking to yourself "Hrmmm it would be nice if this had a blah blah blah" as you wishfully caress your hands in the area of the garment that you were thinking of, and find, to your surprise... that it IS there), you get that warm satisfaction in your tummy telling you that spending a little more at Lululemon really does provide you with the extra 'perks.'

This jacket definitely has more than what meets the eye.

At first glance, it looks like your typical long tweed jacket. I thought that a long tweed jacket was interesting. As I picked it up on the hanger, I saw it had a hood. 'Neato' I thought to myself, 'Whats the price?' I snooped out of curiosity. It happened to be on sale from $299 marked down to $149. So I 'had' to try it on. 

Music friendly

Once I had put the jacket on and looked in the mirror, the first thing I noticed was that it was comfy and that the hood is a good size. Second thing I realised is that the coat felt a little stiffer than I expected. I rationalised it being unworn and being new. Kevin, who was with me at the time, asked me what was on the inside of my jacket next to the button/zipper, near my neck. I had a look and saw this white rubber strip. I had no idea what it was. Kevin then informed me it was a headphone clip, and that got my attention. How did the headphones get to the headphone clip? We explored the jacket some more and found that the headphones come in through the left side pocket and out through an opening in the lining!

(P.S A lot, if not all of Lululemon's gear has this little "I belong to..." tag. How cute right?!)

It was around this time that the sales lady came up to us saying that the jacket was water resistant. YES! that's right, this 'tweed' jacket would keep me completely dry in the rain! (It dawned to me, that the jacket was probably a little stiff because it was water resistant). It was from that moment that I was completely sold. I really liked it, and it was so so practical. I then confirmed with my shopping buddy, to which he assured me that it was a good buy, and bagged that jacket up!

What a practical little jacket!

The jacket zips two ways from the bottom right up to the neck. The collar when zipped up, turns into a turtle neck which shelds your neck, nose and mouth from icy cold wind. The two way zip allows you to zip it all the way up, and to unzip the bottom part if you were sitting down and it was bunching or if you wanted a little more breeze but to keep the top part of your body warm. It also has zips in its side pockets, sheilding and preventing any items (such as a mobile phone, keys, cash etc) from slipping out.

In the alternative... there is always those clip bottons!

The jacket is super warm. It is lined with a fleece like material without it being too bulky and heavy. I like to think of it as... fine fleece.  I remember thinking it may be a little too warm for Perth winters, but the last few days and night have been really really cold, and the jacket has been loved and appreciated in the past week. Oh yes, and the pockets are lined with this fleece too... keeping your hands... hrrrrmm toasty.

For example, last night in Northbridge, I swear was so so very cold. We ended up watching a little bit of Shaolin Soccer which was playing at the big screen at the Piazza, I had my jacket on zipped right up with my hood up and hands tucked into my pockets... As we watched I just loved how my ears were not stinging from the air and my hood made me feel like I had a little roof over my head. It didn't just flop! I also enjoy... well there is no other word for it but shnuggling into the turtle neck part where the fine fleece just warmed up my lower face. Ahhhh... was very toasty, I still was cold, but if I wore any other jacket, I would have been complaining a lot earlier.  

More secret pockets of practicality?

And speaking about secret pockets of practicality. As I was wearing my jacket this morning in South Perth (it was also so very cold this morning) My hood which holds it shape, also caught the wind at times. "Aw Boo" I thought to myself. The one downer of this awesome jacket, that though I like that it holds it shape, I can't enclose the hood if it was really windy and rainy. I then sadly felt around the hood next to the side of my necks wishfully....

To my surprise, I felt two bumps in the material. I didn't know what it was at first but when I took of my jacket later on today and had a look, this is what I found:

What is it? Its a draw string which pulls the hood in if needed, and Lululemon have created a neat little pocket in the hood lining so you can hide the annoying 'nob' and it won't interfere in rubbing against your neck or danggling down your jacket (which is annoying at times when you are like at a table in a restaurant, and you lean over your dish, and the draw string from your hoodie goes into your drink, food etc).

Love love love love this jacket. I even told a workmate about this jacket, and she too did not want to spend any more money. But once showing her all the goodness this jacket provided and the awesome price, she walked out of the office and marched straight to Lululemon to get one too! I had bought the jacket in the brown and my work mate ended up getting it in the grey which is very similar but it has a grey tinge to it.

Lululemon may still have some, so I definitely recommend toasty-seeking-girls to get one!  

Update as of 4 July 2010
Just thought I'd post that I have worn this jacket everywhere and have an awesome tally of 3 friends who have purchased this jacket and who absolutely loooove it.

Birdsnest.com.au

Its sale time!

Everything is going on sale, and this year I had a list of things I really wanted and had wanted for a long time. I decided that this year, my sale shopping will be purposeful. Not that it isn't always purposeful, but I find that when I go shopping, though I buy things that I do need (and I stress that I really do need them.) They are things that I had not thought about or wanted for a long period of time. 

One of the things I have wanted for a while was a formal, yet not a 'suit up'  jacket like the ones I wear to work. Something that I could go out during the day, but dress up easily. So, this was one of the main things on my list. I have found that I love jackets, and hoodies, and have bought a few good timeless ones. Unfortunately, the jackets I always buy seem to be borderline trench, long coat or a bit bulky (for warmth), which clashes what I would wear for a more casual looking outfit.

So, I decided to find one of those trendy short suit-like jackets which had some 'funk' and fun to it. 

I had looked in the usual department stores and was unsuccessful. There were things that were similar to what I was looking for, but I wasn't in the mood of buying something that was 'almost' what I wanted.

Then one night I randomly started browsing the internet and found this gem of a online store. It is called "Birdsnest - For everything but the girl."

I was flabbergasted! This store had branded clothing, accessories and other items at a really good price due to the mid-year sales. 

Also the thing that really got me squirmish in my pants, was that the site provided suggestions of clothing for occasions and personality! The personality suggestions covers yummy mummy, corporate girl, classic woman, playful, study girl, party even yummy granny!!! So whatever 'girl' I felt like or was going for... was definitely catered for!

Not only that, I found that birdsnest also provided sugggestions for certain body shape ranging from pregnant, petite, big boobs, small boobs, voluptous bottom, big hips, a tummy, no waist, short legs, cankles, long body, size 16+ and big arms. This is exactly what I needed! Recommendations of items of clothing that would achieve the look I was going for!

The prices of all items are in Australian dollars and birdsnest sell brands such as Esprit, Ladakh,Wish, Ben Sherman and Living Doll.

I ended up buying a black short suit-looking jacket which was structured on my shoulders (yup, in other words it had little shoulder pads). I didn't realise how a little bit of padding on the shoulders could turn a ordinary suit looking jacket into a really versatile jacket with a bit of 'funk' and fun. 

What impressed me the most was the detail and personalisation the girls at Birdsnest put into my order. I do note that it could be because it was my first purchase, but what the heck, it was still nevertheless a special package to receive.

In my package I received my jacket folded nicely in a cotton birdsnest bag. I also received a loyalty card for future purchases which after a certain amount of purchases I would get a free gift or something. For me, this was quite a nice package to receive, as most items when bought online, are usually just thrown into the mail wrapped in some plastic bag, transaction complete.

But that was not the coolest part! A few days after my purchase I was folding the birdsnest bag to put away, thinking I may not use it despite how cool it was. As I was folding it, I heard something crumple, so I opened it up and found a little piece of paper at the bottom of the bag. I decided to have a looksee, and this is what I found:

There was a HANDWRITTEN note! How Sweeeet!

Have a closer look:

I thought it was mighty sweet, and birdsnest definitely won me over! I was already very happy with the jacket as it was really nice, and I was already impressed in how quickly I received my jacket, (I received it within 3 days, buying it on the Friday and received it on the Tuesday!).

So very very happy! I definitely embrace the approach birdsnest is taking in order to establish returning customers!  =D

Borders iPhone App

I (heart) Borders.

Borders is the place to be at lunch time, after you have exhausted all the willpower to read the endless paperwork and documentation that comes with the job. What better way to escape all that reading, but with more yet enjoyable reading!

So naturally when I was browsing through the iPhone Apps store and saw that Borders had its own App and that it was FREE, I ensured that that "FREE" quickly turned into an "INSTALLED." I assumed that this App was just another point of sale medium for the store, and I was not wrong. But was surprised me was that the App already had five e-books loaded for my reading pleasure. Five books that were also FREE! Those five books  being, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Grimm's Fairy Tales, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland,  Dracula and Pride and Prejudice.

Lets have a looksee:

The first page is the "I'm Reading" page where it shows you your e-library collection. You have the choice of viewing it as a shelf or as a list. They pretty much look the same except that as a shelf they are arranged in alphabetical order horizontally, whereas as a list your e-books are arranged vertically. Once you have chosen the book that you want to read, reading it is as easy as flipping through the photos on your iPhone. With a quick flick with your finger across the screen from left to right, you turn your page just like a book. Even when you exit out of the App, a red Borders' bookmark is put in place so you know where you are at, and that page is re-opened once you re-enter the App and select your book.

Personalised Reading Experience
There are various options to make your reading session through the Borders' App a personalised reading experience. This screen shot contains the following options:

• You can choose to add or remove the bookmark by simply touching the little bookmark with the "+" sign next to it.
• The bookmark sign next to that is for the option to choose what bookmark you want to use, once you have purchased a few different bookmarks.
• "i" gives you a quick synopsis of the book you are currently reading.
•  "..." is a really handy option to remember. Here you can can elect to have your pages flip over, scroll or fade in or out to the next page. All of which are non-evasive and run quite smoothly with no 'chugging.'
• For those who require bigger or smaller font size, "..." also gives you options to change the size and type of the font to view your e-book with. The fonts available are Default (the font in all my screenshots) Georgia, Times New Roman, Trebuchet and Verdana.
• Brightness options under the "i" and "..." functions are useful for those who may find the screen too bright for their eyes.
• Under the Brightness options there is the half black and white circle icon that gives you 'Night Mode.' A mode that inverts the screen from the standard black text on white to white text on black.

Browsing and Purchasing Functions
Discovery Tab:

Simple to use. Touch the Discovery tab and you are given a list of categories of e-books ready for purchase from Borders. Once touched, the category of books are listed for you with a photo of the cover page and the price for purchase. Once you touch the book you are interested in, the Borders App gives you a small synopsis of what it is all about.

Browse Tab:

Just like the Discovery Tab, once you have touched the Browse Tab you are provided with a list of categories of e-books that are available in the Borders' catalogue. You can touch the category, and it will give you a list of sub-categories to eventually listing e-books that may interest you. Again, it will list the books with a photo of the front cover and price for purchase and once touched, it will take you to a quick synopsis. Purchasing is a matter of touching the book and logging into your account to complete the transaction.

Overall Jist
I think this is a good little App for those who like to read on the run. Especially for those who take public transport and do not want to carry another item in their bag such as a heavy book or an e-reader. The Borders App gives you quite a bit to work with to personalise your reading experience to make it more enjoyable, and so far from my experience the books quickly and seamlessly load and pages with very little "chug".

Admittedly I have not purchased any e-books to see how smoothly the application would work once one has an impressive e-library (I like my hard copies). But I assume it will work just as smoothly, if only with a little lag once more e-books are purchased (Here is me being optimistic). The only downside may be that if you read for a long time, it will use up your phone battery. Which is not a good idea if you did not have a charger handy.

I had a little play with Borders' new e-reader the Kobo, and from my experience I preferred the iPhone App over that. The text in the Kobo flashes in and out when it moves between pages and after a few seconds, that had already started to annoy me a bit. But I'm not completely writing off the Kobo, as a no go. It is a super light and super slim e-reader. The screen does not have a back light which for some, may be easier on the eyes (for those who get issues when looking at a bright screen for too long) and with no back light, the Kobo does not use as much energy to power it as the iPhone does. But this is not a review for the Kobo.

So before going on another random tangent, I'd close by saying that if you want a portable reading device, have an iPhone already, and are not going to miss the smell and feel of a new (or used) hard copy book, then the iPhone App is pretty good. Especially since its FREE.  Even if you want to be tight and not purchase any of the e-books, I find the Discovery and Browse Tabs allows me to have a look at what books Borders have in their collection which I may make note of to purchase the hard copy in the future.

Cute Heat Bags

It has all of a sudden turned into winter. Those bright sunny days where you could feel the heat pulsating off the pavement to warm your legs have turned into the deceptive 'bright sunny days' when the sun smiles at you mockingly as the dry icy cold wind rushes under your clothes and drapes its itself all over you. Leaving you with that deep chilled to the bone feeling. It has not necessarily been a wet one so far, (which is a boo for water levels) but yes, there has been rain. Oh, and lets not forget about that freak storm on 22 March 2010. What freak storm am I talking about you ask? Have a looksee here.

Anyways, I realised that like all other years I will have to take out the quilt and rug up on layers upon layers to keep me warm because heaters are a no go for me. Heaters just leave my mouth and throat dry. Eventually you get a dry throat which ultimately leads to the sore throat and well, we all know what happens then. You are dragging your feet into the pharmacy to get those trusty strepsils, and making yourself honey and lemon teas before you know it. All because you just wanted to stay warm.

I then remembered an old friend of mine letting me borrow her heat bag. I remember thinking that the heat bag was a only weird sack of 'stuff' which she would put in a microwave and go to sleep with. It never dawned on me then, but it rang so loud now that I could not, not look for one for myself. (double negatives... ew... I apologise). So I googled "heat + bags" and found that they are quite popular for not only keeping one warm, but for rehabilitative purposes from injuries. Physiotherapists use them and some pharmacies sell them. So why have I not heard about them before?! Another neato thing about these heat bags is that the insides are not synthetic or manufactured material, but are comprised of various dried plant products varying from of wheat, lupin, barley to buckwheat.

There are a few sites that are good sources for purchasing heat bags, all of which have various colours, shapes and sizes to cater for where you would like to place the heat bag, such as around your ankle, neck and shoulders and your back. You can try Heat Bags Plus, Wheat Bags Australia or Heat Wheat Products. 

Amore Gifts Heat Bags

For me, I really just wanted something to keep me warm and to cuddle a bit in bed. I then decided to try my luck at Ebay to see what I could find there. There are A LOT to choose from, but I ended up placing my bets on a new Ebay Seller called Amore Gifts. She provided handmade heat bags that were so cute and funky in colour and at such an affordable price. I ended up purchasing two bags at $10 AUD each!

Amore Gifts is based in Tasmania and so I was able to receive my bags within a few days of the purchase! Such a smooth transaction and the seller was so generous in offering to post my bags by express post at the standard post rate!

The two bags I purchased are the ones pictured. They weigh approximately 1kg each and are approximately 21x24cm, a good hugging size. I can easily place one in my front hoodie pocket and walk around the house keeping my hands and torso all warm! I bought two so that I could place one bag at the foot of my bed, warming up my feet, and the other one at the middle part of my bed to warm up everything else. They have truly made my winter so so toasty. Not to mention that they are so adorably cute! Amore Gifts do have other designs which are more toned down and masculine for the fellas, but like I mentioned earlier, Amore Gifts is a relatively new seller and will hopefully have more products and have her own website set up in the near future.

Benefits of Heat Bags

1. They can keep you warm all night without making your room overly hot and leaving your mouth and throat dry, by simply placing them in the microwave for approximately 1 minute (though it is recommended you reheat 30 seconds at a time.) 
2. They can be used as cold bags too! Just put your bag into a plastic bag and into the freezer. The recommended cooling time is 30-60 minutes.
3. The bags keep you warm and cool using very little electricity. Bonus points for being ECO-FRIENDLY!!!
4. Being able to be heat and cold bags and being malleable to fit around your body allows them to be great for treating injuries such as, well BAD ankles. Though if you were to use them solely for ankles or shoulders I would suggest to look into getting one that is made specifically for that area. Ankle heat/cold bags are a lot smaller and usually has a strap that wraps around the ankle and holds the heat/cold bag in place.